


Taction

by PerfectlyHopeless



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Hair Braiding, I really wanted to write about my Malida's masquerade outfit, Other, Spoilers for Books XIII and XIV, The Masquerade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 23:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectlyHopeless/pseuds/PerfectlyHopeless
Summary: Nadia has always put together the best looks. They'll have to thank her later.





	Taction

**Author's Note:**

> So who else was floored by the sight of Asra with his hair pushed back in Book XIV? I know I was! I also desperately had to get my Apprentice's Masquerade outfit out of my head, which resulted in this fluff. 
> 
> Note that my Malida is nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns, and this is written in the Third Person. I've taken care to minimize confusion while reading. 
> 
> On that note, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 

Malida couldn't help but marvel at the costume that Nadia had provided for them. They lifted it and looked over the material, most of it so sheer that they could see straight through it, and the rest made of the smoothest and brightest blue silk that moved like water under their touch.

It was easy enough to slip out of the strapless romper they usually wore and into the ankle length skirt, the bottom layer the blue silk while the top was the sheer material, delicate floral embroidery in silver and pink thread set into it. They watched Asra from the corner of their eye, smiling as he already finished putting on the top and bottoms of his costume.

The top of Malida’s outfit was a little more complicated. It was asymmetrical, the silk front only covering their chest in a heart shape, their stomach exposed, while in the back the sheer material trailed below the waist. What passed for sleeves were more like wings, the sheer material gathered at the shoulder before splitting so that it hung low. The whole piece was held snugly in place by corset strings.

“Asra,” they began, looking to him once it was pulled on. They pulled their long blonde hair over their shoulder, exposing their neck to him and clearing the way for the corset. “A little help?”

He smiled, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he crossed the room. His fluffy white hair still hung in front of his face, violet eyes looking them over as he took hold of the corset strings. “Let me know if it’s too tight.”

Malida nodded, starting to fidget with their hair as he tugged the strings taut. They felt their back straighten out with the top. “Perfect.”

Asra smiled as he tied the strings off into a bow, then tied the loops to keep the knot in place. A chill went down Malida's back as Asra kissed their now very exposed neck, his breath ghosting across their skin. They leaned into his chest to keep him from doing it again. This time he kissed the skin just behind their ear, causing a little sound to squeak out of Malida.

“ _Asra_ ,” they huffed, the smile on their face betraying the scolding tone that they were going for. They turned to bury their face into the crook of his shoulder, breathing heavily against the gold embroidery that crept up Asra's neck. He just held them close and breathed them in, kissing their head as they pulled away.

Asra cradled their cheek in his hand, looking over their face with so much affection in his gaze, and brought them close for a kiss. Malida's eyes slipped closed as they melted against him, their heart beating faster as they kissed. When they pulled back, Asra ran his hand down their hair.

“I think you need something more,” he said, eyes narrowing just a bit and his mouth turning up into a smile in an expression that they’d seen many times before whenever he tried to be teasing.

“Yeah?” they asked, trying to match his tone.

His fingers ran through Malida's thick golden hair. “Let me braid your hair.”

Malida blinked in surprise. Asra hadn't braided their hair for them in about a year. It had once been a near daily thing for them. Just after breakfast they would sit on the bed while he braided their hair to hold it back for the day. That was before he started leaving more often and for longer. They ran their hands over their hair and the thin braids that they’d woven in the last couple of days. The thought of Asra braiding their hair was too tempting an offer to pass up.

“I’d love that,” they said, smiling at him.

Asra’s face brightened at this, the magician grabbing a comb, ribbon, and pins from the vanity across the room and guiding them to the bed. Malida sat on the edge while Asra moved behind them, carefully undoing the plaits that were there and combing out the long honey strands. They let their eyes close as Asra worked in silence, more than happy to be under his touch. The braid started at their crown, pieces of hair being brought into the main braid. They could feel as he braided some of the pieces and brought them to the center as well. Malida couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like all those years ago, getting ready together before the Masquerade. His fingers in their hair, every now and then his soft lips pressing to their neck in a gentle kiss... They smiled as they committed the moment to memory.

“There,” he said as he finished off the fishtail, tying the grey satin ribbon around their hair into a snug and elegant bow.

Malida reached up and touched the side of their head, all of their hair pulled away from their face. They felt exposed as they looked back at Asra, their sienna cheeks flushed with heat as they met his gaze. The look in his eyes was soft and tender, full of affection, and it only made Malida feel more vulnerable. They pulled the tail of the braid over their shoulder, fidgeting with the ribbon, wanting to look away but finding it impossible.

“You look beautiful,” he said, brushing the side of their face with his fingers. Malida glanced down at their hands, unable to stop the smile that pulled at their face.

“ _You’re_ beautiful,” they said back, looking up at Asra again.

He was briefly caught off guard at this, eyes widening a bit while his own face flushed. Malida giggled at him, then let out a squeal as Asra wrapped his arms tight around their shoulders. They laughed as they hugged his arms, Asra pecking their cheek and trailing kisses to their mouth.

Malida was left wanting as he pulled back, stepping across the room to retrieve his bag and the masks inside. “Here you go,” he said, handing them their mask. Their mouth fell open at the sight, taking the white rabbit mask in their hands. Their fingers traced the delicate blue details around the eyes and nose, along the smooth edges and down the carved ears that were positioned back like a circlet.

“Asra,” they said, speechless as they stared at it. “This is gorgeous!”

He beamed at the praise. “I’d hoped you would like it. I painted it for you while I was traveling.”

Malida’s chest filled with warmth at this, the smile stretching back across their face. Even when he was gone he’d been thinking about them. “I love it.”

“I’m glad,” he said, taking his mask and pushing his hair back with one hand, his curls no longer obstructing the upper half of his face. Malida’s eyes went wide at the sight, caught off guard by how beautiful he looked. They stared at him as he fixed his fox mask to his face, tying the ribbon that held it behind his head. It wasn’t as detailed as Malida’s but the gold only made his violet eyes seem to shine brighter. He glanced at them and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling just a bit. “Need some help with yours?”

They shook their head, swallowing hard to refocus. The mask fixed to their face almost perfectly, the rabbit ears hugging their head while the ribbon held it in place. When they looked back at Asra he had finished putting the rest of his costume on, now wearing white gloves that reached his elbows and a deep pink sash around his waist. He held a hand out for them to take.

“Shall we?” he asked, still smiling at them. It was hard to believe that hours ago those eyes had been filled with tears as Malida learned the truth. Their shared happiness now made everything else seem to fall away into the background.  

They smiled up at him and nodded. “Yes,” they said, taking his hand in theirs. They laced their fingers together, staying close as they ventured into their first Masquerade together.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you enjoyed! If you're so inclined please leave a comment to let me know how I'm doing!
> 
> If you'd like to support me and my writing monetarily, I have a [Ko-Fi](https://ko-fi.com/A040BLW)! I'm currently running prompt commissions, see my page for details. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you have a good day ^_^


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